Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Examiner - August 4, 2006
Bruce Miller, bmiller@baltimoreexaminer.com
But it's a much different organization than when it got its start in 1985 with a $100,000 planning grant and rented offices.
Today, the nonprofit is an organization with a national presence, more than 40 employees, a $20 million annual budget, an organization-owned headquarters in Baltimore and satellite offices on the Eastern Shore and in Prince George's County. During the past 21 years, the group has funneled more than $111 million into programs and services to improve the lives of Maryland's black citizens.
"We've had the basic same focus areas of education, health, strengthening families, economic empowerment and community revitalization," said Interim President and CEO Barbara Blount Armstrong, who was recently appointed following the resignation of the organization's former leader, Gary Officer.
"We've gone about addressing those needs through grants, capacity-building services, providing leadership around various issues of relevance to the African-American community and participating in collaborations that address those issues," Armstrong said.
Armstrong added that while education programs have always been at the top of the organization's agenda, as new HIV infections have risen disproportionately in the black community, HIV and AIDS education and prevention has become a top priority. To further education and prevention in this sector, the charity serves as the administrative agent for the Baltimore City Health Department to manage the Ryan White Title I program by determining how federal dollars are spent to further treatment.
"We need to educate people about the fact that this is a preventable illness," Armstrong said. "People don't need to get it in this day and age and it's still a state of emergency here in the Baltimore area and the state of Maryland."
Meanwhile, Nathaniel Jones, the charity's board chairman and managing partner at Baltimore law firm Jones & Associates PC, said that the organization's role is so critical because with the number of prominent black leaders involved with the charity, the organization possesses key insight into the issues and challenges facing the black community.
"We've been able to identify problems and identify solutions and access the solution in terms of their effectiveness," Jones said. "Our major success is that we've been in existence for 21 years as a vital, stable organization providing these services and grants."
###
More information:
Associated Black Charities, 1114 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-659-0000; www.abc-md.org
060804
SE060802
Copyright © 2006 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .